Just a Father Teaching his son to Hunt
by Petra Jade
Summary: Inuyasha says Shippo can't hunt. That's very true. So, he teaches him. FATHERSONONESHOT


Bwuhahahahahahaha

**Bwuhahahahahahaha! I liiiiiiiiivvvveeee!! Now face the writing skillz of TheMelz!!**

**The almighty NOT MINE section: Inuyasha under NO circumstances is owned by me. I've never even been to Japan, let alone an animecon. T-T**

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It was a tradition among demons. Something passed down from generation to generation. It was a bonding moment that was built into demon instinct. Without it, young demons would never survive. This tradition that was so important?

Teaching the young to hunt.

All animals teach their young to hunt and care fore themselves, without such skills the young would never make it. It would of course be an instinct in demons as well, seeing as most of them are animal demons anyway. It was another tradition that this skill, that is hunting, was taught by the father. Or, if a father is not available, the closest thing to a father would teach the youngling to hunt. This reigned true for all demons, half or full.

This ancient instinct was finally unleashed in Inuyasha when Shippo fell into the river.

He was chasing a fish.

O

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Shippo asked the teen. She was doing something very strange, she was putting a string in the water and watching it. "I'm trying to fish, Shippo." She answered, without moving. Shippo sat on the rock next to her and watched the water to. "Does watching it help the fish bite the string?" He asked. "No, but I want to be ready." Kagome responded. Shippo went back to watching the water with Kagome.

Sadly, the child attention span finally wore off.

"You know, we demons don't use string." Shippo said. Kagome sighed and pulled her string out of the water. "You don't?" She said, humoring the small kitsune. Shippo nodded. "We hunt our food. Even fish." He said proudly. Kagome smiled and stroked his head. "O, really? How to you hunt a fish?" She asked. Shippo put himself into, what he thought, was a hunting position and stared at the water. "You wait, and then pounce." Kagome shook with laughter before leaving Shippo to hunt his fish. She looked over his shoulder at him, perched on the rock like a cat watching a laser pointer. She smiled and walked away.

O

"Kagome? Where's Shippo?" Miroku asked when the teen had rejoined her friends. "He's hunting by the river." She said with a smile. Sango looked up. "Hunting what?" She asked. "Fish." Kagome answered. She walked into the hut in Kaede's village and closed the bamboo mat behind her. Sango and Miroku exchanged looks. This wouldn't end well.

If only they'd paid more attention, they would've seen a distinctive flash of silver and red in the trees, headed for the river.

O

Shippo sat there, diligently. He was watching the fish, waiting to strike. He had no idea how to hunt, honestly. His father had died before he could teach his kit. Shippo feared he would have to teach himself. That was why he sat there, trying to teach himself to hunt. Then he saw it: a fish. It was close enough to the edge for Shippo to catch.

So, he tried. He missed. He fell into the river.

Shippo screamed as much as a small fox demon constantly going in and out of the water could. He was pulled under by currents, trying to force himself to shallow ground. The water crashed his frame from rock to rock, like a wild animal trying to buck him off. Shippo was forced underwater, all her could see was wet. Fish swam past his figure, panicked and quickly filling with water. He tried to scream; water filled his mouth. He looked around, desperate to find hope in the deep river he felt sure he was going to die in.

Just then a hand reached into the water and fished him out.

Shippo coughed and sputtered, his throat soar and wet. As he tried to give the water back, he was aware of two things. One: something was hitting him on the back, helping him give the water back. Two: He was sitting between Inuyasha's legs. Shippo finally gave the river back its water and shivered heavily. Inuyasha, without saying a word, stood up, wrapped Shippo in his arms and began walking back to the village. The little kit continued to shake with fear and cold, but soon his ears heard a purring noise. Deep, rough and almost a growl, it came from Inuyasha.

Instinctively, Shippo knew the purring noise was Inuyasha's way of telling him everything was going to be alright. Shippo smiled and curled deeper into Inuyasha's chest, sleeping softly.

O

"The kit can't hunt."

Inuyasha's voice crashed into Shippo's mind. The voice was rough.

"Who are you to judge him?"

Kagome's voice, it was angry and slightly hurt. Shippo opened his eyes to see the two of them arguing. Sango and Miroku just sat there as the two fought it out. Kirara cuddled closer to Shippo, softly alerting her mistress the kit was awake. Sango looked over and smiled, invited the young fox demon to climb into her lap. "What are they arguing about?" He asked the slayer. "You. And you're hunting skills." She responded. Shippo turned his attention to the two people he had adopted as parents.

"He can't hunt. He almost drowned himself trying to."

"He's a baby! He just needs to be taught!"

"His dad's dead, Kagome. There is no one to teach him."

"Well, then, someone else should!"

"Like who, wench?"

"Like….Sango!"

"I don't think so."

"Kirara?"

"No."

"Who then?!" Kagome yelled. Inuyasha didn't answer her; he turned and ran into the woods. Kagome huffed and sat down on the ground, muttering to herself. Shippo watched Inuyasha until the half-demon disappeared. He leaped into Kagome's lap and smiled. She smiled back. "I'm sorry about that, Shippo. Are you alright?" Shippo nodded then turned to where Inuyasha was sitting. He jumped onto the spot, then ran after Inuyasha. "Shippo! Wait!" But Kagome was stopped by Sango.

Sango new what was happening. They needed to be alone.

O

"Inuyasha?" Shippo searched, calling out Inuyasha's name. As of yet, he had gotten no response.

"Hmmm?" Came the familiar voice of the leader of Shippo's clan.

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere!" Shippo jumped up the tree and landed on Inuyasha's chest.

"What for?" Inuyasha asked without opening his eyes.

"You said I couldn't hunt, right?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Well, Kagome said I just needed to be taught how."

Inuyasha sighed and opened his eyes. "Shippo, hunting is taught by the fathers. My dad taught Sesshomaru to hunt, and probably would've taught me if he hadn't died. Besides, do you see any kitsune males around here with no kits?"

Shippo shook his head. "No, but I do see a Dog Demon with a clan to care for."

Inuyasha snorted. "They ain't my clan."

Shippo shook his head. "Yes, they are. We travel together, care for each other, defend each other and share our kills. We eat, sleep and fight together and we don't abandon each other."

Inuyasha stayed silent.

"Besides," Shippo continued, "as the leader of our clan, it is your responsibility to teach the kits to hunt, especially when their birth father is dead."

Silence.

"And another thing, my birth father is dead, but I've always seen you as my surrogate father."

Inuyasha stayed still. Shippo looked sadly at his alpha and started to climb off when he felt Inuyasha shaking. He looked to see what was wrong with him; Inuyasha was laughing! He looked at Shippo. "Alright, runt, I'll teach you to hunt." He said, voice both amused and determined. Shippo smiled widely and nodded. "Okay!"

O

Kagome watched the horizon, anxiously. They had been gone a long time and the sun was setting. True, she had no doubt that Shippo would be safe with Inuyasha running around, but she still wondered where they were. Finally she saw them, or rather a familiar streak of silver and red. Then she heard them.

Or, rather, the sound of a running deer.

Then she saw it, a young buck, small but sturdy. It was running at her, away from something else. Shippo came dashing in after it, hot on its tail. He was running on all fours, like a fox. He pushed himself to catch it, but was sadly lacking in the leg department. The young, strong prey animal soon gained a strong lead, but was no match for Inuyasha.

The half demon charged from the trees and slashed at its legs, wounding it enough to let Shippo catch it. Inuyasha stood by, watching with nothing less then fatherly pride when Shippo took the animal down by its back legs. Shippo let the animal's back legs go and looked over at Inuyasha. "I did it, Inuyasha! See?!"

Inuyasha walked over and slit the beast's throat, killing it without too much suffering. "Yep. Good job, runt." He said, ruffling Shippo's hair. Shippo jumped into Inuyasha's arms and hugged him around the neck. Without thinking, Inuyasha hugged him back.

Kagome smiled and walked, silently, back into the hut where Sango and Miroku were. "What's going on out there? It sounded like a battle." Miroku commented.

"Nothing like that. Just a father teaching his son to hunt."


End file.
